Machine for raising and lowering well-piping.



M. B. WHISENANT.

MACHINE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WELL PIPING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. I9I3.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- INVENTOR 7HE NORRIS PETERS 60..

PHOYU-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

M. B. WHISENANT.

MACHINE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WELL PIPING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 19 13.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR R15 PETERS co, FHOTC-LITHO. WASH/NuVuN. L)

will raise or lower well MARVIN B. WHISENANT, OF HOLLIS, OKLAHOMA.

MACHINE FOR RAISING AND LOWER-IN G WELL-PIPING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARVIN B. WHISE- NANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollis, in the county of Harmon and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Raising and Lowering VVell-Piping, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful machine for raising and lowering well piping. Its object is to provide a machine, adapted to be manually actuated through the oscillation of a lever, which machine piping or a pump rod subjecting the same to a step by step displacement.

Another object/is to mount wrench holding sockets upon a machine of the character described, so that one section of a pipe or pump rod may be held against rotation by one of the wrenches secured in said sockets, while another section is being coupled to or uncoupled from the first mentioned pipe.

A further object is to provide a means for holding the lower endof a section of well piping elevated sufiiciently above the upper end of anothersection to permit two sections of pump rod contained within the two sections of piping to be coupled together.

Finally, the object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described, that will be strong, durable, simple and eilicient, and comparatively easy to construct, and also one, the various parts of which will not be likely to get out of working order.

with these and various other objects in view, my invention has relation to certain novel features of the construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of the machine in side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end View of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a pipe gripping device which is embodied in my machine. Fig. 4t is a detail perspective viewshowing another and similar pipe gripping device which is embodied in an other portion of my machine. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a wrench socket, several of whichare embodied in my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 denotes two parallel spaced beams Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed June 7, 1913.

Patented Apr. 2'7, 1915. Serial No. 772,316.

which together with a third beam 2 constitute the base of my machine, one end of the beam 2 being interposed between two adjacent extremities of the beams 1 and held in a rigid relation thereto by a pair of trans verse bolts 3. Between the other two end portions of the beams 1, there is interposed a block 1, centrally bolted toa bar 5, extending over said block and transversely across the members 1, and having its ends turned down at right angles against the outer faces of said members, and held in a rigid relation to said members by clamping screws 6.

Upon the outer faces of the members 1, there are oppositely mounted the lower ends of two pairs of bars each comprising three integral portions 7, 8, and 9. The lowermost portions 7 of each pair of bars incline upwardly toward each other. The intermediate portions 8 of each pair are vertical and spaced from each other. The uppermost portions 9 of the two pairs of bars project horizontally toward each other terminating in a spaced relation, the portions comprising each pair being brought into contact. To the spaced upper ends of the two pairs of bars there are respectively bolted the extremities of two curved metal straps 10, between which is formed a substantially circular aperture.

.Between each pair of members 8, there are mounted the lower extremities of a pair of spaced, vertical bars 11, which are held in place by a pair of bolts 12. The upper extremities of each pair of bars 11 are bolted together as indicated at 13 and upon the uppermost of each pair of bolts 12 and 13, there are mounted sleeves .14, serving to hold the bars in their proper spaced relation.

Upon the upper pairs of bars 11, there are respectively mounted two levers 15 and 16, which are pivoted upon the uppermost bolts 13, and which when in use will be manually oscillated through arcs bisected by a horizontal line. In their neutral positions therefore, said levers will be horizontal and alined transversely of the machine. The pivoted ends of the levers 15 and 16 are bifurcated and straddle the pairs of bars upon which they are pivoted. Between the furc'ations of each of the two levers l5 and 16 there is mounted a bolt 17, upon which are pivoted the ends of two spaced parallel bars 18, held in a rigid relation by bolts 19. Between the free extremities of the two 7 fully illustrated in ends ofeach pair of bars 18, there is mounted a U-shaped member 20 through which are passed twopins 21 held in place by cotterpins. The parts 18, 19, .20 and 21 together constitute a pipe gripping device which is used in several parts of my invention and is Figs. 3 and 1 of the drawing.

It is at times necessary to set up a fixed relation between the levers 15 and 16, and the bars 11 supporting said levers, which relation is obtained by pivoting upon each lever one end of abar 16% the other extremities of the said bars being mountable upon the lowermost bolts 13. In Fig. 2, the levers are shown in their fixed positions. In this figure there is also shown a' position which the correlated parts 15 and 11 may assume in which position the members 11 are made to occupy a horizontal laterally projecting position, and are supported at their free ends by the lever 15.

' Between each pair ofmembers 8, there is mounted a horizontal cross piece 22 upon which is pivoted one end of a bar 23, having two partially flattened rings 24' mounted fast upon their ends in which are mounted set screws 25 to engage the handle of a pipe wrench 26 passed through said rings. The function of the wrenches 26 is explained hereinafter.

1 projects between I carries at said extremity a pipe Upon that extremity of the beam 2 which the members 1, there is mounted a hinge plate 27 carrying a pintle 28', upon the extremities of which are pivoted the lower ends of a pair of spaced parallel upright bars 29. Upon the upper exi. 'tremities of said bars is pivoted a lever 30,

comprising two adjacent rigidly connected bars, extending longitudinally of the machine. -The lever 30 projects at one extremity between the members 7 and pivotally gripping devicecomprising parts 18, 19, 20 and 21 such as have been already described. Upon the bars 18 at their centers are mounted two upstanding lugs 81 to which are secured the ends of a short piece of chain 32. To the middle of said chain is attached one'end of a wire 33, which has its'other end secured to one arm of abell crank 31 mounted between the two members of the lever 30, adjacent to l: thevhandle end of said lever.

- Beneath the gripping device carried by the lever 30,,another such device is pivotally mounted upon that extremity of the beam 2 which projects between the members 1. This device comprises parts 18, 19, 20 and 21 such as have been previously described. The members 18 are pivoted at one end of the gripping'device, upon a pin 35 mounted in the free. ends of two bars'36 pivoted at their lower ends upon oneend of a plate 37 secured to the member 2. Upon the other end of said plate, there are mounted a pair of parallel arms 38 which after being extended a short distance vertically are turned at right angles toward the pin 35 and have arcuate slots 39 formed in their free ends to receive the ends of said pin. With this gripping device there are correlated lugs 31 and a chain 32 such as have been previously described, the chain being connected at its center with one end of a rod 10, extending the entire length of the member 2, and pivotally connected with a foot pedal 11, mounted upon the outer end of the member 2.

An explanation as to the operation of my machine in accomplishing its various functions will now be given.

In lowering pipe into a well, the machine is positioned with the circular aperture members 10' are also temporarily removed to permit the pipe to be introduced into'said devices. The section of pipe will now be The outermost pins 21 of .the two gripping devices lying beneath the lowered into the well by manually actuating the lever 30. When the handle extremity of the lever is being raised, the section of pipe is being lowered, and supported by the gripping device mounted upon said lever. To prevent the lower gripping device from engaging the pipe as it descends, the operator will bear upon the foot pedal 11, thereby holding the lower pipe gripping device horizontal and inoperative. When the working end of the lever reaches its lower limiting position, the operator releases the pedal 11, permitting the lower gripping device to take hold of the pipe. By swinging the bell crank toward the handle of the lever 30, the operator now disengages the upper pipe gripping device from the pipe, permitting the lever to be shifted to its other limiting position. The upper gripping device will now be made to engage the pipe and the lower one will be released and the pipe will again be lowered a distance equal to that between the limiting positions of the wort:- ing end of the lever. When a section of pipe has been lowered until its upper end is just above the members 10, another section of pipe must be coupled on. After the second section has been hoisted to its proper position by a block and tackle or other suitable means, the pump rod sections within the two pipe sections must be coupled together. The upper end of the pump-rod contained in the lower pipe section is gripped by a pipe wrench 13 mounted in a socket comprising parts 23 and 24: and pivoted between a pair of the-bars 11. The pump rod section congaged by a manually held wrench and is :10- tated into a screw threaded engagement with the coupling surmounted upon the lower rod section. The lower section of rod may not turn during the coupling operation since it isengaged by the wrench 43. When the two red sections have been coupled together, the upper pipe section is lowered, and is subjected by a manually .heldwrench to the necessary rotation to bring its lower end into screw threaded engagement with a coupling surmounted upon the lower pipe section. The lower pipe section is restricted against rotation during the coupling operation, through being engaged by one of the two wrenches 26. In order that the operator may have more room in using the manually held pipe wrenches, the lever 15 and the members 11 which are pivotally connected with said lever are adjusted to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In using the machine for raising well piping and the correlated pump rod, the machine is first positioned above the well, it being necessary to temporarily remove the block 4 as well as one of the members 1.0 and one of each pair of pins 21, to bring the machine and pipe into the proper relative positions. The pipe is raised by manually oscillating the lever 30, and the two gripping devices which are correlated with the pipe will automatically engage and release the pipe at the proper times, making it unnecessary to actuate the foot lever 41 or the bell crank 34:. When the lower end of a section is raised to a height slightly above the members 10, the operation of raising the pipe will be discontinued until said section has been uncoupled. from the section beneath it. The uncoupling operation will be practically the same as the coupling operation, which has been already described. It is to be observed, however, that one of the two wrenches 26 is adapted to hold the lower pipe section from turning during the operation of coupling, while the other wrench 126 performs the same function during the operation of uncoupling. -When two sections of pipe have been uncoupled, the upper one will be raised a slight distance and supported at its lower extremity by the pipe gripping device carried by the lever 16, said lever being adjusted in a fixed relation to the members 11 which support it. The pump rod sections within the two pipe sections may now be uncoupled in substantially the same operation employed in coupling the same. As the pipe gripping member, which is mounted upon the inner end of the member 2 is shifted from its inclined position of engagement with the pipe to its horizontal position in which the pipe is released, there must be either a slight lateral displacement of the pipe or of the pipe gripping member. Since the considerable weight of the pipe Lima ment thereof diflicult the substantially would render even a slight lateral displacepin 35 upon which said gripping member is mounted is made capable of a slight lateral motion by mounting its extremities in the arcuate slots 39.

It is at times necessary to remove a pump rod from a well and replace it by another without disturbing the piping of the well. In removing the well rod, the lever 16 will be manually actuated, the gripping device carried by said lever engaging the rod and raising the same upon each up stroke of the inner lever end. The lever 15 will be rigidly engaged with the correlated members 11 during this operation, and the gripping device carried by said lever will support the pump rod during the downward motion of the other gripping device. When a pump rod is being lowered the operation will be ping device carried by the lever 15 must be manually held disengaged from the rod while the latter is being displaced downwardly, and the gripping device carried by the lever 16 must be manually held disengaged from the rod during the upward movement of said device.

By removing the inner pin 21 and the U- shaped member 20 from any gripping device, said device may be adapted to engage a large sized pipe.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as properly come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for raising and lowering well piping, a frame comprising a base surrounding the well. opening and two pairs of bars projecting upward therefrom, the bars of each pair inclining upwardly toward each other and terminating in horizontal portions, said horizontal portions of each pair projecting toward each other to form a central aperture for the reception and guiding of the pipe, in combination with pipe raising and lowering means supported by the base of said frame and arranged to operate on said base below said central aperture, and wrenches constituting a pipe holding means, said wrenches supported by said frame below the aperture and above the pipe raising and lowering means.

2. In a machine for raising and lowering well piping, a frame comprising a base, two pairs of bars projecting upward from said base, the bars of each pair inclining up wardly toward each other and terminating in horizontally projecting portions, said horizontal portions? of each pair of bars extending toward each other to form a central aperture for the reception and guiding of the pipe, a pair of spaced vertical rods each projecting from a pair of rods and supported thereby above said central aperthe same except that the gripture, in combination with pipe raising and lowering means supported by the base of said frame and arranged to operate on said base below said central aperture, Wrenches constituting a pipe holding means and oplowering means and a second pipe raising and lowering means operatively supported by the spaced vertical rods above said cen- 13 tral aperture.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

MARVIN B. WHISENANT. Witnesses:

J. S. MURRAY, EARLE C. WIGHT.

G'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, r Washington, D. G. 

